Brake mechanism



C. N. MCDAVITT 'BRAKE MEGHANISM Filed April 24, 1954 July 3 0, 1935.

torneg Patented July so, 1935 2,009,853

UNITED STATE-s- PATENT oFFicE BRAKE MECHANISM Carlisle N. McDavitt, Schenectady, N. Y., assig'nor to General Electric Company; a corporation of New York Appiication April 24, 1934, serial No. 722,085

s claims. (c1. 18s-171) My invention relates to brake mechanisms of I extends through the brake applying spring I6 the type which employs energy storing or resilient which is secured at its upper end to the spring means for applying the brake and which employs bracket Il and at its lower end engages the electromagnetic means for overcoming the apspring seat I6. For convenience in turning the 5 plying means to cause the release of the brake. rod I5 Yto vary the tension of the spring I6 I 5 In apparatus heretofore constructed a spring have provided the handle I9 which is shown recommonly has been used as the source of energy sembling a winged nut but which is xed tothe for applying the brake and for the purpose of rod I5 by the small pin 20. changing the braking eiort produced thereby, The brake is released against the force of spring 10, the apparatus often has been provided with some I6 by the electromagnet 22 and the connection 10- means for changing the tension of the spring. which I will now describe between it and the rod A disadvantage of such apparatus is that there I5. The electromagnet 22 is of well known conis danger of increasing the spring tension to struction comprising the eld structure 23, the such an extent that the electromagnet is unable winding 24, and the armature or plunger 25,

: to overcome the spring to release the brake. there being an air gap 26 between the end of the 15 Not only may the magnet thus be unable to opplunger and the cooperating portion of the field erate the4 mechanism but because of its inability structure. The electromagnet is preferably lamto do so andthus to reduce the reluctance of its inated whereby it is adapted for use on either magnetic 4circuit' it may be damaged by the realternating or direct current circuits and may be sulting excess of current taken thereby. of the construction disclosed and claimed in the 201- It is `the object of my invention to provide an Trombetta Patent 1,696,615 December l5, 1928. improved brake. mechanism of the above men- The plunger is connected through link 28 with tioned type by which these disadvantages may be the long end of lever 29 which lever is fulcrumed overcome. In accordance with my invention I on the post 3D rising from the base plate 5. The

25 have provided a ybrake mechanism of this type opposite end of lever 29 is pivotally connected to 255.

whereby as the brake applying force is changed the rectangular member 32 through which the the relation of the parts vof the electromagnet also operating rod I5 extends and may rotate freely. is changed in an appropriate manner to enable Engaging the upper face of the member 32 is the the `magnet' to meet the new condition and efnut 33 which is fixed to the 'rod I5 by means ofl ner and without danger to the winding thereof. is secured tothe member 32 and is arranged to My invention will be better understood from overhand the nut 33. Secured to the member thejfollowing, description taken in connection 32 by the screws 36 on the side opposite to the with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will stop bracket is the spring detent 31 which by 35 be pointed out in the appended claims. engaging the faces of the nut 33 prevent any ac- 35 Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevacidental turning of the rod I5 but permit it to tion illustrating one embodiment of my invenbe readjusted by rotating the handle I9 thereon tion, and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing a for changing the tension of the spring I6. modified form thereof. In the construction of the apparatus the 40 In the drawing I represents a machine frame lengths of the two arms of lever 29 are so propor- 40 having bearings (not shown) for the shaft 2 tioned that the electromagnet when energized is to which is secured 4the brake drum 3 which is able to compress the spring I6 to eiect the reto receive the braking effect and which rotates lease of the brake. If it is desired to increase the' in the direction of the arrow. Secured to the braking eiort the handle I9 is rotated in the frame I is the base plate 5 which supports the proper direction to cause the rod I5 to screw up- 45 brake mechanism. The brake 6 which engages wardly through pin I3 thereby further comthe brake drum 3 is shown as of the band type pressing spring I6. Since the nut 33 at the having one end secured through the terminal upper end 0f rod I5 is iixed thereto it will be block I and the pin 8 to the lug 9 on the base seen that this upward screwing of the rod I5 plate. The opposite end of the brake band is allows the lever 29 to rock counterclockwise and 50 secured to the crosshead I2 through which exthe plunger 25 to descend in the magnet to tends the .pin I3. The brake operating rod I5 shorten the air gap 26. 'I'hus as the spring tenis screw-threaded at its intermediate portion in sion is increased the air gap is decreased so that the pin I3 and extends through a suitable cpenthe force exerted by the electromagnet is simuling in the crosshead I2. The lower end of rod tanecusly increased. Conversely if the handle 55 fectthe release of the brake in an eicient manthe small pin 34. A suitable stop bracket 35 30vk I9 is turned in the reverse direction to decrease the tension of the spring I6, the rod I5 by being screwed downwardly through pin I3 raises the plunger 25 to increase the air gap. The magnet, however, is still able to operate the mechanismfor although its air gap is increased the force which it must overcome, namely, the tension of spring I6, has been decreased.

The lever 29 isvso constructed that the ratio of its arms is such that the pull required by the elctromagnet to release the brake is always less than the inherent pull curve of the electromag-lv net, and it is never possible to increase the air gapto such an extent that the winding on the electromagnet would burn out or that the load imposed on the electromagnet would exceed the magnetic pull thereof. It will also be noted that should the spring i6 be tensioned beyond the power of the electromagnet to effect the release of the brake at which tension the brake would probably be locked to the drum the air gap would have been reduced to zero or to such a small value that the inductive reactance of the electromagnet when used on an alternating current circuit will be sufficiently high to protect the winding against excessive current therein. A turning of the yhandle I9 in addition to changing the spring tension and changing the air gap functions also to change the clearance between the brake and the drum when the brake is released. Thus as the screw is rotated in the direction Vto increase the spring tension and decrease the air gap it also decreases the clearance between the brake and the drum and vcani/ersely as the screw is rotated in the opposite direction to decrease the spring tension and increase the air gap it also increases the brake clearance.

Where the brake mechanism is intended to function with the drum rotating in either direction, I have provided a modified form of the connection of the vbrake band with the operating rodl i5 as shown in Fig. 2. In this mcdied form one end of the brake drum 6 connects withv the operating rod I5 through thecrosshead I2 just asin Fig. l. The opposite end of the brake band, however, connects through the terminal member 'I with one arm of the bell crank lill, which is pivoted to lug 9 on the base plate. The other arm of the bell crank has a slot 4I which receives the pin I3 threaded on the operating rod I5, a suitable washer 42 and Cotter pin 43 being provided to retain the bell crank in position on the pin.

Downward movement of the rod I5 produced by spring I6 in applying the brake in this form of my invention rocks the bell crank 40 in a counterclockwise direction thereby tensioning the lower connection of the brake 6 at the same time that the upper connection thereof is tensioned. Since both the upper and lower connections of the brake are tensioned simultaneously by the same operating mechanism this form of my invention is well adapted for use where the brake drum may rotate in either direction.

I have chosen the particular embodiments described above as illustrative of my invention and it will be apparent that various other modifications may be Vmade without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention which modifications I aim to coverby the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is:

l. Brake mechanism comprising a brake, a brake applying spring, arodconnectingsaidbrake and spring and having a screw connection with thebrakaan electromagnet having an armature connected with said rod for stressing the spring to release the brake and means for turning the rod to shift it longitudinally thereby simultaneously changing the/tension of the 4spring and changing the position of the armature;`

2. Brake mechanism comprising a brake, a brake applying spring, a rodrconnecting said brake and spring and having a screw connection with the brake, an electromagnet having a field structure and a cooperating plunger, a lever connected at one end with said plunger, a. pivotal connection betweenthe lever and the rod `and a member secured'to said rod by which it may be turned. Y l 3. Brake mechanism comprising a band brake, ar brake applying spring, a threaded rod connected with one end of said spring, a member threaded on said rod and secured to one end of said brake,v an electromagnet having a field structure and a cooperating plunger spaced therefrom by. an air gap, a lever connected -at one end with said plunger, a member provided with a spring detent .pivotally .connected lwith the other end of said lever, a. nut xed on said rod engagingsaid pivotally connected member and arranged to be engaged` by said detent and a handle on said rod for turning the same to change the tension of the spring and simultaneouslyto changesaid air gap.`

.CARLISLEy N. Mc'DAVrr'r.k 

